CD20 (B-cell-specific membrane protein) (CD20)

CD20 is a B cell-specific membrane protein expressed from pre-B cell to mature B cell stages, absent on plasma cells. It plays a role in maintaining the resting membrane organization and the fate of B cells. CD20 does not directly transmit signals but modulates the nanoscale arrangement of B cell surface receptors such as the B cell receptor and coreceptor CD19. Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies are widely used for B cell depletion in hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases, although its precise biological function is not fully understood. CD20’s disruption leads to altered receptor clustering, metabolic reprogramming, and B cell fate switching, underlying its therapeutic and biomarker significance in clinical immunology.

Other names

B-lymphocyte antigen CD20membrane-spanning 4-domains subfamily A member 1 (MS4A1)

Targeted antibody-induced B cell depletion by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, complement-mediated cytotoxicity, and apoptosis